Criteria of Humanity
by scintila
Summary: Everyone has to face their their own morality of their destiny: to accept it or to go against it. What if it was possible for the navis to transcend their current state of being and live among their creators and operators? Blues comes across an enigmatic girl who forces him to question his own reality, revolutionizing his predetermined existence.
1. Ambiguity

Blues approached the pastel clad female navi as she was ending her conversation with her net operator from a shiny cybernetic floral headpiece adjusted close to her left ear.

The mysterious female navi averted her attention to the stoic red navi as he stood close before her and scoped her out from head to toe. Slightly shorter and slender framed, the navi appeared to be modeled to be around the same age as the reserved crimson navi. Long strands of her pitch black hair rustled as Blues circled observantly around her.

_'__What kind of fighting navi doesn't wear a helmet or visor?'_ He thought to himself.

She wore silver-metallic laced fishnet tights underneath her light cream blue skirt patterned with a series of small blossoming black flowers that was similar to the intricate china-plated ceramics that he had seen many times from Enzan's dining quarters during his master's childhood. Her shoulders were bare as her solid yellow crop top over fiber-laced trimmings that allowed the sleeve straps to rest delicately to the sides of them. A pair of white gloves covered only three quarters of her arm, passing her elbow.

Blues scoffed thinking how absurd and impractical her delicate attire was instead of a real combat jumpsuit. _'God knows how she makes it through the Ne__t on her own. All for show.'_

"And just who you might be?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously on her.

She looked at him in an effort to see through his shades and read his thoughts. Blues fixed his gaze into her deep-set purple eyes. Her expression softened with a certain warmth behind her eyes at him.

"That's not important for you to know," the beautiful navi answered softly and turned as she began to walk away. Before she was out of his reach, Blues quickly caught her wrist in his firm hand.

"Name yourself, woman," he demanded curtly, indiscriminately clenching tighter around her delicate wrist.

Literally, her frailty vulnerable in his hand.

She stopped. Suddenly, he felt her arm relax in his stubborn grip. To his further surprise, the strange female navi turned to face him in a calm manner.

_Was she displeased with being addressed by as 'woman'?_

"Blues-san..." she sighed in resignation. "If we ever met again, I hope it will be on less aggressive terms. "

Then she stepped into close proximity towards the red maverick, who was staring cautiously yet intrigued at the ethereal navi as her face inched near his face that she could see the outline of his eyes through the dark visors. She gently placed her hand on his wrist and pulled her arm out of his grip. But then with the same arm, the angelic navi laced her gloved fingers into his tense fingers and lifted it to her face, playfully swiveling his hand between their fixed gaze.

Slightly taken aback, Blues flinched a little by her touch but did not let go even after a couple seconds passed.

This was the first time that anyone has ever touched him.

It was strange that he noticed this but even stranger that he was letting someone or something do this.

He barely knew her.

Holding his hand. ..

He wasn't even a human.

Intertwined...his...hers...their fingers together shared the warmth and tension.

_It was absurd._

"And looks can be deceiving," she said unintimidated with a kind smile which made him even more uncomfortable yet drew even more curiosity about her.

Slender fingers fit into his lithe ones as she pressed her small palm against his. It was an unknown sensation to him as though there was nothing more tangible that he ever felt before than her gentle hand relaxed into his.

Flashbacks of romance movie scenes that Anetta would usually force Enzan into watching with her, where the male would usually kiss the female's hand like a charming gentleman. Those overrated clichés always made the apathetic navi disgusted by the overly dramatic and unrealistic fantasy that entertained the small brains of females.

But his fingers responded to her hold with a insistent but soft press around her hand. There was a feeling of total serenity that engulfed his cautious demeanor.

As he was getting slightly distracted by this, her hand pulled away unexpectedly from his which caused the wary red navi's hand to fall back to the side of his waist. But not before feeling something soft and light-weight replaced in his now, loose grip. In the palm of one of his hand was a small bluish-purple flower that glistened. He frowned as he looked down at it.

"Who are you?" Blues stiffened impatiently, quickly refocusing from the obscure item in his hand back to the female navi.

The soft-spoken navi chuckled with hint of respectful endearment as she slowly began to levitate away from him until she was out of his reach.

"Only on a more official engagement will you have more information," she answered softly. _  
_

Blues watched as she began to stream through the skies between the skyscrapers of the Net city until she disappeared from his sight.

_'My mind...data core,' _he thought smugly, envisioning all the pesky viruses, Netnavi civllians he had to rescue, and an strange female assisting him a few moments ago, _'must be seriously corrupted.'_

He remained unmoved but underneath his dark shades his interest was somewhat piqued by the serene demeanor of the new navi as well as her...interesting appearance. She reminded him more of the hologram models in digital notebooks as some useless maiden in distress from a fairy tale setting more than a fighting cyber navi.

_'__How frivolous'_ he thought as he shook his head in slight disbelief. "Hmph."

The red navi held the fragile flower up to his face in observation. He wondered why she left it for him and how she knew his name. _  
_

_'A violet?' _Blues held back a small smile as he decided to store this in his memory drive, watching the tiny violet reduced into pixels until it completely vanished before him. He decided to make his way back to his mainframe before Enzan noticed his absence.

"_BLUES, logging out_," a computerized voice said as soon as his body digitized away into a million pieces until he was entirely gone.


	2. Nirvana

**HAKONE, JAPAN:**

"Ninetta!" called a warm, teasing voice of a female subtly pressing through speakers of a white PET.

All the windows slid upon automatically and the curtains drawn back. The room was entirely white with a few metallic furnishings which included a small bed that was near a window sill. Underneath the covers of the thick green blanket was a slender, petite girl with tousled black hair. She sat herself up on the side of the bed and looked out of the window.

The early morning atmosphere brought in a gentle breeze and it was still dark outside but warm enough to be unbothered by the occasional winds billowing in cherry blossom petals into the room.

She reached out for her PET beside the bed on a silver chrome bed stand and smiled lazily. "Thank you, Violet."

"Our leave is nearly over. You said you wanted a head start to return back to duty," the navi. "Are you ready, ma'am?"

Her soft purple colored eyes were focused on the waves dancing on the surface of the pristine blue waters of the lake that was once the jaws of a powerful volcano, capable of unimaginable destruction. That simple historical truth of the origins of this natural phenomenon was rather inspiring. Simply miraculous.

Nina nodded quietly in agreement. "I have nothing else."

She rose from the bed, pulled a white satin, short-sleeved top over her head, and stepped into a light pink, chiffon A-line skirt that hit right above her knees. Then she grabbed an ID badge from the bed stand which read: BENSON IRIE, NINA on the laminated card attached to a chain lanyard. Turning around in a full-length mirror, the precocious girl took one last glance at the window and shifted her eyes to the delicacy of the petals from the cherry blossom tree outside.

Moments like these reminded her of what little childhood she had before studying overseas and working for a surveillance agent. There was not much room for tea parties and ballet recitals that many girls at the time had back then. A greater purpose was expected from her.

From everyone. From her parents. The teachers. Psychologists. Government. Her country. Society.

"Tasteful selection of attire. They should take you seriously," Violet commented pleasantly. "Still classy but not juvenile."

Nina picked up the handle to her suitcase which had another one attached on top of the first one and slung her leather messenger bag across her right shoulder.

"Okay," she took a deep breath and nodded down at her navi who was safely tucked in her bag. There was a feeling of newly found courage battling restlessly against the unwillingness in her heart. She reached out for her PET beside the bed on a silver chrome bed stand.

"Let's get moving. Dentech, here we go," Nina exhaled deeply as though releasing any trepidation and walked out of the room with her luggage rolling smoothly behind her.

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she released a heavy breath. Nina was soon standing outside of the charming, quiet inn before disappearing in a humble yellow cab without a driver. Nostalgia sunk deep into the wistful seventeen year-old as the glistening pure cerulean waters of the ancient volcanic basin was no longer visible as the yellow self-operated car descended.

She watched the fine details of the elegant, traditional Japanese resort fade away as she was driven away in a vehicle further and further away to the airport.

Within the suppressed vulnerability and habitual resilience was her heart sinking ceaselessly and heavier with the burdens of returning to a complex civilization.


	3. DISCLAIMER Author's notes

**I want to apologize for the error in the chronological order.**

It starts out with Blues coming across a navi during on of his independent missions.

I just got a fanfiction account yesterday, I spent hours, not going to bed until 8AM today, spending more time today right now, fixing and thinking how this story is manifest itself.

I really hope that you guys will enjoy it and that neither of my characters come of as Mary Sues. I would really REALLY APPRECIATE any feedback so I could write better stories. Just constructive criticism though.

This is one my first story for Megaman. I used to watch it years ago and sometimes watch reruns just for the joy of the old days. Thanks!


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